


This Unexpected Life

by OneMoreNight1996 (orphan_account)



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Parents Bughead, Southside Serpent Betty Cooper, Southside Serpent Leader Jughead Jones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-11-16 00:07:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18083588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/OneMoreNight1996
Summary: When the cult that Alice and Polly joined is raided and it's decided that the environment is unhealthy for children to be raised in, it falls to Betty to assume custody of the twins. This takes Betty and Jughead on a trip of learning to be parents, running  the serpents and trying to keep everything going.





	1. Chapter 1

Betty was woken up by the sound of knocking on the door of the trailer she and Jughead lived in. They had moved into it when she had turned eighteen last year and had been living there since then. It was getting a bit crowded and awkward living with FP so they had made the decision to rent the trailer next to his when it had opened up. It wasn't much different from living with him since they saw each other all the time but there was less of a chance he would walk in at an awkward time which had happened a lot when they all lived together. Betty felt Jughead move behind her and he groaned.

"Who is knocking at this time? It's barely six in the morning, it's still dark out." He whined. Betty rolled her eyes.

"You're so dramatic. It might be an emergency." She got up and pulled her robe on. She heard Jughead get up behind her with a few muttered curse words as she walked down the hall. The knocking started again just as she reached the door and she flung it open, to see attorney McCoy on the doorstep. It stunned her for a minute because she was the last person Betty expected to see on her doorstep at the crack of dawn so she just stared at her for a moment. She finally realized what she was doing was rude so she stepped aside to let her in. Jughead had finally made his way in and seemed just as shocked as she was. She heard him blow out a breath and turned to him.

"Who is it?" He asked. Betty and Attorney McCoy both looked at him in confusion.

"Pardon?" McCoy asked.

"I assume you're here so early because one of the serpents did something stupid, so which one was it?" He asked. She shook her head.

"I'm not here about one of your gang members, it's actually something more serious than that." She motioned to the couch. "Have a seat and we can talk about it."

Betty and Jughead both sat on the couch facing her and exchanged looks. Betty shrugged to let him know that she wasn't sure what it was about either. They watched as Attorney McCoy began pulling papers out of her bag and Betty started fidgeting when it became clear that she wasn't going to start speaking any time soon. She cleared her throat and McCoy looked up at her.

"Can I ask what this is about?" She said. Attorney McCoy sighed and sat her papers aside.

"You're aware that your sister named you as the godmother of her children?" She asked and Betty nodded. "Okay, well that's kind of why i'm here." 

"Is Polly okay? Did something happen?" Betty asked in quick succession. Attorney McCoy raised her hands in an almost calming gesture.

"She's okay. So are the twins, it's just that the commune they were living in was raided last night and social services deemed it an unfit environment to raise children. Polly kind of lost it and attacked the officers so they've put her on a psychiatric hold to determine if she is fit to be a mother as of right now. The twins were taken to an emergency foster family for the night but since you are listed as their godmother, right now you stand as the only person to take custody of them." She said. Betty took a deep breath.

"I'm only nineteen, are you sure they'd even give me custody?" She asked.

"You may only be nineteen, but as of now you have a home of your own, and you own the Riverdale Register so you have a steady income, plus Jughead has ownership of the Whyte Wyrm since he's the leader of the serpents. You two have a good chance of winning custody of them, the only thing that would make it better was if you two were married seeing as the courts like kids to have a stable home." Seeing the look on both their faces she paused, "It's not something you have to do, its not going to impact to negatively that you aren't married, you've been in a stable long term relationship for years it would just soften the judge a little to the situation but we can work around it."

"Slow down." Betty said quietly. "What do you mean Judge? I thought they'd just bring the kids here."

"It doesn't quite work like that. I got a hearing with the judge as soon as I could, which is why i'm here so early, but he has to grant you custody of the kids first and do all the paperwork. He needs to meet with you and decide if you're the best fit for the children. The hearing is in a few hours so we need to go over a few things before then." She said.

"We haven't even said if we were going to take them or not, and you already set up a meeting with a judge?" Jughead asked. McCoy studied them.

"Of course, you don't have to take them, I just thought it would be the best here but I can contact social services to work out a more permenant placement if that's what you want." She said.

"I didn't say we didn't want them, it just would have been nice to get a little bit of a heads up first." He said.

"Things moved a bit quicker than I was expecting on this case." She said then picked up the papers she had discarded earlier in the conversation. "If you're going to go through with this we need to go over a few things before we see the judge."

So in the early hours on a Monday morning the three of them bent over the papers and went over everything they would need to bring home the children neither of them expected but couldn't turn away. 

* * *

That was how Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones found themselves staring up at the courthouse at ten in the morning. Attorney McCoy turned to them and asked if they were ready to go in. Betty took Jughead's hand in hers and the marched toward the doors knowing that no matter what happened in that courtroom their lives were about to change. As they walked through the courthouse Betty studied the other people and wondered what had brought them down to the courthouse so early in the morning. Were they here to pay a fine or to file some paperwork? Whatever it was she doubted it was as monumental as what had brought her here. She knew she could have refused but she couldn't even think about her niece and nephew growing up with a different family and never even knowing who she was.

She was thankful for Jughead by her side as they stepped into the courtroom and made their way to the front to sit and wait for their case to be called. It seemed like they were sitting there forever before the name Cooper was called. They made their way to the desks in front of the judges seat and sat down. The judge shuffled some papers then cleared his throat and looked up at them.

"We are here today to discuss the custody of Juniper and Dagwood Cooper. Is that correct?" He said. Attorney McCoy stood and addressed him.

"Yes that is correct, Your Honor." She stated.

"And who is here today?" He asked.

"This is Elizabeth Cooper and Forsythe Jones, Your Honor. They are prepared to take custody of the children." She stated.

"And why should I consider them as guardians? They are very young to be here petitioning for custody, how will they provide for these children?" He asked. Betty was squeezing her fist hard enough to break skin. Jughead reached over and loosed her fist and took her hands in his. Her rubbed his thumb on the back of her hands in comfort almost like he was saying  _it'll be okay._ She gave him a small smile and he smiled back the motioned with his head to pay attention.

"They may be young, Your Honor, but I have never known two more responsible people. Besides that they both own businesses so they have a steady flow of cash and they have a home in their name, which will provide a stable and loving environment for these children." She said. The judge studied the paper in front of him then looked up.

"I would like to see you all in my chambers to speak." He said and moved toward the small door on the right of the room. Attorney McCoy nodded and motioned for them to follow her. 

As they walked into the room she and Jughead took the seats in front of the desk with Attorney McCoy standing behind them. The judge studied them for s long minute before he began to speak. "Look I think it's admirable for two people as young as you are to step up, most people wouldn't but are you sure you want to do this?"

"Of course, I can't imagine them growing up with anyone else. I want to be apart of their lives." Betty said. The judge turned to Jughead.

"I want this to. I've been in their lives since the beginning just like Betty. They're family, and we don't turn our backs on family." He said. 

"I'm considering giving you custody, but I want you to understand just what you're getting yourselves into okay?" He asked. They both nodded. "I'm going to deliberate for a few minutes in here and I want you to go out there and think about what i'm about to say and decide if this is really what you want. Do you understand?"

"Yes, we understand." Betty said.

"Okay, here's what I want you to think about. If you do this, you are responsible for them for eighteen years. They're only three right now so that is fifteen more years. Think about if you're ready for that because you don't get to go back, raising those kids will be your life. Even if you get married and decide you want to start a family of your own, even if you decide you want your life back at some point. When my daughter was your age she went to college and traveled the world. This isn't the life I would have wanted for her, just take a minute and decide if this is really what you want. We're talking about the rest of your life here." He said. 

They left the Chambers and walked out to the courtroom. Jughead and Betty sat in the back while Attorney McCoy stayed up front to give them a moment to talk. Betty turned to JUghead and sighed. She studied his face and then looked down at her hands.

"It's okay if you want to run." She said. She heard him take a sharp breath inward and he grabbed her face to make her look at him.

"What the hell are you talking about Betty? Why would I run?" He asked. She sucked in sharp breaths to keep from crying.

"Because you didn't sign up for this. For my messed up family, it feels like every time we get settled they do something to screw it up. I don't want you to feel obligated to do this." She said.

"Hey, I don't feel obligated okay? I love you and we both love the twins. We may not have seen much of them in the last year but they're family, not an obligation. You're not an obligation. We'll figure it out." He said. Betty looked up at him.

"Are you sure you want to have a family with me?" She asked. "With the serial killer dad, the crazy mom and the pregnant sister, i'm starting to think we may be a little cursed."

"Well I don't mind a little curse, I'm sure we can break it." He said as he kissed her softly. "I cant wait to have a family with you Betty Cooper."

At that moment the judge reentered the room and they made their way to the front of the room. They stood behind the desk waiting for him to speak.

"Are you prepared to assume guardianship of Juniper and Dagwood Cooper from  this day forth?" He asked. Betty drew a breath and answered, "Yes we are, Your Honor."

"Very well, I grant Custody of Juniper Cooper and Dagwood Cooper to Elizabeth Cooper and Forsythe Jones. Take your children home." He said and banged the gavel. Betty turned to Attorney McCoy and thanked her.

"Where are they?" She asked. Attorney McCoy smiled.

"They're waiting in the lobby." She said and led them out of the room. The moment Betty saw them she started crying. Juniper was wearing a floral dress her ginger hair pulled up into a ponytail. Dagwood was standing beside her wearing a polo shirt and khaki pants. Aside from the red hair the both looked exactly like Polly. Betty hadn't seen them in over eight months but they seemed to remember her because the came running to her. She engulfed them both in a hug and Jughead knelt next to her and ran his hand through their hair. They both knew that everything in their lives had just changed, but maybe it wasn't a bad thing. 

Attorney McCoy stood to the side as the reunion took place but everyone finally got a hold of their selves and turned to her. She smiled at the new family with pride.

"I always knew the two of you were going to do incredible things." She said. "Congratulations on your new family."

"Veronica's going to kill us for not calling her." Betty said and Jughead pressed a kiss to the side of her head with a laugh.

"That would be unfortunate." He said. "Let's just never tell her."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Betty was strapping Juniper into her car seat while Jughead did the same on the other side of the car with Dagwood. She looked across and met his eyes, they were both realizing how monumental this was. Just yesterday, they were two young people living their lives and now they suddenly were responsible for the lives of two small children. It scared Betty a lot, because whatever they did form now on would go on to shape the people that these children would become and it was daunting, but she couldn't imagine not taking them in. She closed the door to the car and climbed in the driver side. She felt Jughead take her hand and looked up at him.

"Stop thinking so hard, we're going to get through this." Jughead said glancing back at the twins. "At least now we know they're safe."

"You're right. I know you're right but it is kind of terrifying to think that we have their lives in our hands now. I never thought about how fragile children are until right now."

"We've faced worse together, parenthood sounds like a piece of cake compared to all of that." He joked. Betty rolled her eyes and laughed lightly.

"Okay, then you get to call Veronica, since its going to be so easy." She grinned at him and saw the horror come over his face. She couldn't help but laugh at him.

"You're not serious are you?" He asked quickly.

"Nah, I like your face to much for that." She said and Jughead rolled his eyes. Betty finally started the car and started driving toward Greendale, she noticed Jughead look at her strangely when she passed the road that would lead them back to their home and she shrugged. "We need to get some things for them and Greendale has a bigger shopping center."

"Right, they obviously need some clothes and stuff." He nodded and glanced back at them. Neither seemed to be listing to their conversation, instead they were busy watching the trees go by outside the windows, "We should probably get them in to see a doctor as well, I remember that your mom and Polly wanted you to stop taking your medication before they left for the farm, I doubt that they've been vaccinated."

Betty whipped her head around to look at him and unintentionally swerved the car before she pulled over to the side. Jughead looked at her in question, she looked back at the twins and sighed.

"I didn't even think of that. Do you think it's okay to take them to the mall? There's so much bacteria and so many people, they've been confined to the compound until now, I don't want them to get sick." She said. Jughead put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. Maybe we can drop by the pharmacy and I'll go in and grab some of those masks people wear when they're sick to put on them." He said. Betty nodded and took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down before she pulled back onto the road and started driving again. She stopped at the first pharmacy she saw and waited with the kids while Jughead ran in, he was back out very quickly and he put the masks on them both. Neither protested which surprised Betty because when she was their age she would have screamed and ripped it off as soon as it was put on but she was glad they could be on their way without any meltdowns.

She knew that at some point today they were going to have to inform their friends and family about the situation but she wanted to wait until she got them back home and make sure they were settled as well as they were going to be before she subjected them to the tornado their friend group was likely to become when informed of the change in their family status. She was most worried about how Cheryl would react because they were her niece and nephew as well but they didn't really know her due to Polly distancing herself from the Blossoms. Betty was afraid that she might get a bit overzealous in trying to show her affection and likely scare them, because experience showed that she could be a little much at times but hopefully Toni would be able to tamper her more erratic behavior around them until they got more comfortable. She reached over to turn up the radio to distract herself from the thoughts flowing through her head.It was a top forty's pop station which cause Jughead to roll his eyes and Betty grinned at him. She knew he hated when she blasted it in the car but she also knew he wouldn't say anything about it.

"Music." The small voice coming from the backseat startled Betty so much she jumped and her hand flew to her chest to calm herself but thankfully she didn't lose control of the wheel. She looked into the rear view to see the twins and she caught Jughead's wide eyed expression. She wasn't sure which one had spoken but she smiled at them both the best she could while keeping her eyes on the road.

"That's right. Do you like listening to it?" She asked. Juniper nodded and smiled while Dagwood just watched his sister quietly. That action lead her to believe it was Juniper who had spoken in the first place. "Did you listen to it a lot before?"

"Not allowed." She said quietly. Betty glanced at Jughead and his brow furrowed.

"You weren't allowed to listen to music?" He asked.

"The man said it was bad, but I like it." She said. She reached a hand over to take Dagwood's and smiled at him. "You like it?"

He nodded and she seemed satisfied with his answer because she went back to watching h the trees. Betty looked at Jughead and he shrugged. She knew they would talk about it later when the kids weren't likely to hear.She was absolutely going to get a report of what was going on at the farm from Attorney McCoy. She needed to know what was happening to the children at the farm so she would know what to be prepared for in regards to the twins. She was formulating a list of things she needed to get done when they got back home as she pulled into the parking lot of the mall. She got out and grabbed one of the carts from the sart return to put the twins in. Jughead had already gotten Dagwood out of the car and was coming around so she quickly got Juniper out and sat her into the cart next to her brother. She fixed the masks on their faces because they had been fidgeting with them causing them to be more or less just hanging from the strings behind their ears rather than on their face.

She started pushing the cart toward the door and Jughead was keeping pace with her as they entered. There seemed to be a lot of people at the mall considering it was the middle of the day on a weekday, but she just continued on to the kids clothing store she knew was right past the food court. As she passed she realized that in the stress and rush of the morning that she hadn't eaten breakfast. She turned to Jughead and pulled him to a stop, he looked at her and she motioned to the food court.

"We should probably eat something, we both skipped breakfast this morning. It's a miracle you didn't start chewing on the leather seats, I know how you are when you haven't been fed." She said teasingly. He pushed her away lightly only to pull her back in and lay a gentle kiss on her lips. She leaned into him and they stood like that for a moment just taking comfort in the others presence, before he pulled away and turned to the kids in the cart.

"Are you guys hungry?" He asked. They both nodded so he steered the cart toward the food counters and she followed behind him. He seemed to be studying each food counter to decide what he wanted before he finally settled on burgers. He turned to her. "Find a seat with them and I'll order something. Kids love burgers and fries, can't go wrong with that I guess."

Betty moved over to a table in the corner of the room and put Juniper and Dagwood on the side that was bracketed by the wall. They sat calmly and she smiled at both of them before she turned her body slightly so she could see the room behind her and still keep an eye on the children. She found some paper and crayons on the table which she slid in front of them and looked over to see Jughead waiting for the order to be complete. She noticed that some of the mothers in the room were looking at her and she smiled at them but they turned away when they noticed she had seen them so she shrugged and turned back to watch the people walking around. None of them seemed to be in a hurry to get anywhere and she wondered about the kind of lives they lived where they could spend leisurely time roaming the mall. Her life had never been that simple.

She turned back to the table when she heard a tray being sat down. Jughead had walked over without her even noticing and she rolled her eyes as she looked at him. "I'm going to buy you a bell."

"Why? I like being able to sneak up on you." He said as he sat next to her. He let his eyes roam the room and she knew he was doing what she did when she first turned around, he was searching for a threat and a quick escape. It was a skill they had both honed after everything that had happened in the last few years, she didn't think either of them would ever feel completely safe out in the open, but they had learned to cope with it and it was mostly in the past now.

"Well I don't like it. You always hear me coming, it isn't fair." She pouted. He laughed and sat her food in front of her.

"You're cute when you're pouty." He said. She rolled her eyes and unwrapped her burger. She reached over and unwrapped the burgers for the twins and sat the fries and ketchup on the table next to them. She waited until each of them had tried the food before she started eating hers, she knew kids were picky eaters sometimes and she wanted to make sure that they were actually going to eat something. They looked at the burgers like they were alien objects but eventually they had both started eating and seemed to like it so she relaxed a little and ate with them. Jughead had his arm slung over the back of her chair just like he did in the booth at pops.

It made her happy to see the twins eating but she was a little nervous about the fact that they had to remove their masks to eat. She just hoped that they wouldn't catch anything really bad, and knew the first thing she was going to do when they got back to Riverdale, was book that doctors appointment. Everything else on the list of things she was mentally preparing could wait but this couldn't. She could feel the anxiety building in her and causing her fists to clench. She knew Jughead saw it because his hand was suddenly in hers and his other hand was running through her hair to calm her. She blew out a breath and worked to get a hold of herself because she didn't want to have a full blown panic attack on front of the kids because she knew it would probably scare them so she worked on her breathing and focused on a spot in the wall as she calmed herself down. She squeezed Jughead's hand to let him know that she was alright now and he nodded to himself and moved his hands away from her.

She was thankful that the twins were distracted by their food and drawing to notice her mini freak out. She met Jughead's eyes and mouthed a thank you to him and he just smiled at her gently. "I love all of you Betty Cooper, even this part."

It was then she noticed one of the moms from earlier, that she had seen staring was making her way over to their table. Jughead moved closer to her and they turned in their seats to face the mother together. Betty smiled at her politely as she felt Jughead's hand rest on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I noticed that you aren't wearing rings." She said in a fake polite voice.

"That's because we're not married." Jughead deadpanned. The mother cleared her throat and glanced at the twins.

"I don't think you should bring them up that way. They'll think it's okay to have kids out of wedlock." She said in a serious voice. Betty scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"It's not the 1950's, plenty of people have kids without being married." She stated. "I don't see why it's such a big deal. I'll get married when I'm ready to, not just because someone else says I should."

"Well, you really should have gotten married when you got pregnant. It's better for the kids to have married parents." She said. Betty felt Jughead shift behind her and knew without looking that he was irritated.

"Who says? We both had parents who were married and our families didn't exactly turn out all sunshine and roses. They have us in their lives and we love them, we don't have to be married for that to be true and frankly the way we choose to raise our kids don't affect you in the slightest so why don't you take your high and mighty attitude and leave us alone. We didn't ask for your opinion nor do we need it." He turned away from her making it clear that he was done with the conversation and the mother huffed and stomped away. Betty rolled her eyes and turned to face the twins. They had finished their food so she cleaned up the mess and got them back into the cart with their masks and continued on to the store. They finished shopping quickly because Betty was just throwing things that she thought would fit them into the cart. She made sure that the designs on them were cute but at this point in time she just wanted to make sure they had clothes period. As they paid and left to stuff everything into the back of the car she turned to Jughead and he looked over at her.

"You know what that woman said isn't true right? We don't need to be married to raise them together. When I marry you I want it to be because we both decided it's what we want and not because we were forced into it by necessity." He said gently, and she realized he had misinterpreted the look on her face.

"That's not what I was thinking about." She said and grabbed his phone out of his pocket. "I was thinking that you should probably call your dad and warn him about our two new family members. He'll probably be home by the time we get there and he's literally a shout away from our front door so there is no way we're going to sneak past him."

Jughead groaned. "Do I have to? He's going to ask a million questions and I'll probably still be on the phone when we get there. Can't we just pull in and say 'Surprise Grandpa', I'll even pick up a card."

"Are you trying to give your father a heart attack? Over the phone will soften the blow. He'll probably yell at us for not waking him up this morning anyway." She said. He mock glared at her.

"So you want him to yell at me first so he'll be over by the time he sees you?" He said. She grinned at him.

"That's the plan." She said cheekily. "By the way did I hear you say _when_ we get married? Awfully confidant aren't you?"

"About you? Always." He said. She smiled and pulled him in for a kiss before she quickly pressed the call button on his phone that was still in her hand. She shoved it at him and laughed. "Too late to back out now."


	3. Chapter 3

Jughead had been right when he said he'd still be on the phone when they got home. Betty had expected FP to have a lot of questions be she hadn't been anticipating this level of intensity. Jughead pulled the phone away from his ear and hung it up even though his father was still talking on the other end and shrugged when she lightly punched him on the arm and motioned to where she had just turned on the way to their home. She rolled her eyes but didn't comment. As she pulled into the driveway halfway between the two trailers she saw FP on his porch waiting for them. Jughead rolled his eyes and she laughed.

"He seems eager." She said.

"I told you we shouldn't of called. If we had gone with my plan we probably could have avoided the ambush." He said and Betty shook her head as she turned to the kids in the back seat. They were both studying everything outside the car and she had the feeling they were more observant than most kids their age as she had noticed them do the same thing at the mall, but maybe that was due to them having only saw the farm that Polly and her mother talked about religiously. She smiled at them and glanced over to where FP was standing.

"Would you guys like to meet someone?" She asked. Juniper looked at her then glanced at FP.

"Who is that?" She asked. Dagwood took her hand from the other side of the car and they both looked at her. It was almost like looking in a tiny mirror, they were both so similar to her as a child it was almost shocking.

"That's my dad." Jughead said and Dagwood turned to look at him while Juniper kept her eyes on Betty.

"Is he nice?" She asked in a small voice. "The man with mommy was mean."

"He's very nice." Betty assured her then reached out to put her hand on their joined ones. "That man with mommy will never be mean to you again okay? In fact you'll never have to see him again."

Juniper looked at her for a long second as if trying to see if she was telling a lie when Dagwood shocked her by speaking. "You promise?"

"I promise." Betty was not intending to ever break that promise.

"Okay, I want to meet him," Juniper said and Dagwood nodded next to her. Betty nodded back and got out to unstrap them. As they stepped out of the car FP started to make his way over but he kept his distance while they set the kids on the ground.

Betty motioned for him to come closer and he came over a knelt next to the twins but far enough away that he wasn't crowding their space. Betty stood close by but far enough away to not intrude, Jughead was next to her and everyone was just waiting to see what the kids were going to do. To Betty's surprise it was Dagwood who moved first. He stepped closer to FP and seemed to be confident enough that he was safe because he didn't stop moving until he was right in front of him. FP gave him a smile and Dagwood put his hand out to touch his face. Betty was holding her breath waiting for him to say something. Dagwood smiled at him and turned to point at Jughead.

"Juggie." He said seeming to refer to the fact that they looked alike.

"That's right, I'm Juggie's dad." FP said in a gentle voice. Juniper walked up next to her brother and grabbed FP's hand.

"Can we play?" She asked sweetly. FP looked stunned at looked over at Betty. She shrugged and nodded. He stood up and took their hands in his.

"What do you want to play?" He asked. Juniper chewed on her lip with an expression on her face that was very similar to the one Betty got when she was thinking.

"Tag." She said briskly then spun and ran from him with Dagwood following, they didn't go to far before they swung back and started running in circles around FP dancing away each time he got close to grabbing them. Their laughter carried on the summer breeze and Betty couldn't help but smile. She finally turned away to start bringing in the shopping bags. She put them in the second bedroom that they would soon convert into a bedroom for the twins. When she brought the last bag in she went back out to find FP and the twins laying on the grass watching the clouds. Jughead came from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, he rested his chin on the top of her head and she sighed contentedly.

"I would almost wait to tell everyone but I think we should start making calls." She said.

"Yeah, they would kill us if we didn't tell them soon." He sighed and she turned to face him.

"I'm thinking we invite them all over tonight and just get it over with. Plus it would give me a chance to talk with Attorney McCoy about getting us files on what was going on at that farm while the kids are distracted. I don't like that they keep calling someone, that mean man. I need to know if someone hurt them." She said.

"I know what you mean." He said as he kissed her on the forehead. She leaned into him for a long minute before she pulled away with a sigh. She grabbed her phone out of her pocket and looked up at him.

"Let the craziness begin." She said before taping Veronica's number.

* * *

 

Betty had ordered food to be delivered which was currently set out on the table in their kitchen. She had made sure that it was all things that could be left out in the summer heat and not go bad but that it was also things you could grab quickly and eat with little mess, meaning it was mostly finger food but it wouldn't matter to their friends. Everyone was super excited to come over and meet the twins so she was trying to make it as casual as possible so she wouldn't spook them with so many new people at once. She finally went back outside to see that the twins were digging in the yard with sticks and Jughead was sitting on the ground next to them talking to his father. Betty smiled at the scene, looking at it was almost like her fantasies from when she was younger. Of having a kids and a home with an amazing husband, her younger self would never have imagined that perfect life on the southside with the leader of a gang and her sisters children with no ring in sight. As Betty took in the scene she decided she didn't really care about the perfect american dream anymore, she was completely happy with the life she had in this moment.

"Juniper, Dagwood. Could you two come in please?" She called. They both dropped their sticks and came over immediately. She moved aside to let them into the trailer amd motioned for them to sit down. Jughead and FP had followed them into the house and Jughead grabbed a small sandwich off the table which made Betty smile and roll her eyes. She walked over and sat on the coffee table in front of the couch. She looked at the twins to make sure they were listening.

"Okay, in about an hour we're going to have some visitors. They are all really nice but if you feel uncomfortable you tell me or Jug and we'll take you somewhere else. The people coming are our friends and they're all really excited to meet you two. Do you understand me?" She asked.

Juniper leaned forward and looked at her seriously. "They won't be mean?"

"If anyone is mean to you, we'll make them leave. You are safe here okay sweatheart." Betty said. Juniper surprised her by throwing her arms around her. She felt Dagwood join and she wrapped her arms around both of them. When they finally let go Betty felt like she had just gained something, her heart ached wiht the thought they maybe they had never felt safe before they came to her and Jug and she wondered just what kind of place Polly and her mother had dragged them into. She took a deep breath before she smiled at them. "Alright, these clothes are covered in dirt, what do you say we change?"

The twins followed her to the second bedroom. Jughead brushed his hand against her arm as she passed him in a silent gesture of support. She gave him a smile and continued on. She pulled the dress over Junipers head trying to avoid getting the dirt in her long ginger hair. She removed Dagwood clothes similarly and found herself wondering how they managed to get so much dirt on them in such a small span of time. She knew they would need a bath before being put to bed that night but for the time being she just ran a washcloth over them and started digging in the bags for something to put on them. She pulled out a black dress with colorful flowers on it for Juniper and for Dagwood she pulled out a white t-shirt with a robot and navy shorts to put on him. After she pulled on their outfits she got a hairbrush and pulled it through Juniper's hair first then Dagwood's.

"Do you want me to pull your hair up Juniper?" She asked.   
  
"Mommy always does." She said and Betty nodded and started gathering the hair in her hands before Juniper pulled away. Betty looked at her as Juniper turned to face her. "Can I leave it like this?"

"Of course Juniper. It's your hair." Betty said. Juniper bit her lip and looked at her feet.

"Mommy never let me." She said. Betty sighed and ran her hand through Juniper's hair.

"You can wear it any way you want with us Juniper. We're never going to tell you that you can't wear what you want here, neither of you. We want you to express yourselves anyway you want." She said. Dagwood looked at her and smiled.

"I like it here." He said and Betty laughed.

"I'm glad." She said and lead them both back to the living room. Sweet Pea and Fangs were already sitting in the living room with Jughead and FP. Betty knew they'd be the first ones to arrive because the were the ones who lived closest with both of them still residing on the southside. She felt Dagwood grab her hand and she looked down to she him looking at the new people in the room. Jughead came over and picked him up while she pulled Juniper up into her arms. They made their way to the couch and sat with the twins on their laps. Jughead continued the conversation as if it was a normal day and the others followed his lead.

Sweet Pea and Fangs were studying the twins as if they couldn't quite believe they were real but respectfully neither of them said anything or tried to talk to them.Betty could see they were slowly relaxing and breathed a sigh of relief. She was nervous about how the twins would react to everyone but so far it was going well. Dagwood shifted in Jughead's lap and tapped him on the arm lightly. Jughead looked down at him and he pointed at Sweet Pea.

"He's got a picture." He said pointing to his own neck. Jughead laughed.

"Yeah, he does. It's called a tattoo. Do you like it?" He asked. Dagwood nodded and Juniper leaned over to study it. She grinned and looked over at Jughead.

"Can we get one?" She asked. Betty snorted a laugh when Jughead's head whipped back and forth between the tattoo and the twins before he seemed to formulate a response.

"You can't get a tattoo, you're too young." He said quickly. Betty laughed lightly as both twins started pouting.

"It's something only big people can get okay guys? Maybe when you're older you can get one." She said. Juniper nodded and smiled at Sweet Pea.

"I want one like that." She said pointing at him.

"Maybe one day." Betty said. Jughead glared at her over their head.

"Over my dead body." He muttered. She grinned at him and turned back to Fangs and Sweet Pea. They were both smiling at the look on Jughead's face.

"Okay, I like them." Fangs said. 

"Yeah I can't wait to teach them how to ride a motorcycle." Sweet Pea said. Betty knew he was saying it to get a rise out of Jughead because he laughed when Jughead gave him a death glare. Betty was about to say something when she heard a knock on the door. She got up and sat Juniper on the couch next to Jughead and went to open it but it swung forward before she got there. Toni stepped in with Cheryl close behind. Betty noticed her focus in on the twins as soon as she saw them and she stepped in front of her before she could move toward them.

"They're a little cautious about other people right now Cheryl, you can't just bombard them as soon as you come in, you'll freak them out." Betty said quietly.

"Those are Jay-Jay's babies. I want to talk to them." She said and Betty nodded.

"I know Cheryl, but if you go in there to fast and expect them to love you, you'll scare them and then they won't want anything to do with you." Betty looked in her eyes. "I get it, they're the last piece of him left in this world but you have to be patient. They'll learn to love you and when they get a little older we'll explain who you are and you can tell them all about their father, but right now you're a stranger to them and they need time to get to know you." 

Toni touched her arm. "She's right babe. At least you finally get to meet them. You can't expect them to love you immediately."

Cheryl nodded and moved toward the room more calmly. Jughead met her eyes and she nodded letting him know everything was okay. Juniper and Dagwood studied the new arrivals but seemed to be getting more comfortable with their surroundings because they didn't react to much. Juniper slid onto the floor and came over to them and Betty picked her up. She looked at Cheryl and Toni for a moment before she gently grabbed a handful of Cheryl's hair. 

"It's like mine." She said. Cheryl had tears in her eyes but Betty could see she was trying to keep them from falling. She cleared her throat and smiled at Juniper.

"That's right. It's just like yours." She said. Her voice broke a little on the word and Juniper reached over and patted her face.

"Don't be sad." She said quietly. Cheryl sucked in a breath and blew it out quickly. Toni put her arm around her and Cheryl leaned into her.

"I'm not sad Juniper. I'm just happy to finally meet you." She said.

"You know my name?" She asked.

"Of course. I've waited a long time to meet you and your brother." Cheryl stated. Juniper nodded and put her arms around Betty's neck. 

"I like her, she's nice." Juniper said before she wriggled down to the floor and went back to her brother on the couch. Betty watched as Toni went to greet the others and Cheryl stood next to her.

"They don't look like Jay-Jay. Except for the hair." She said. Betty looked at her. "I hoped they would but maybe it's better this way. I don't know if I could handle seeing them like that. I think it would remind me to much of me and him growing up, and I would miss him more. Maybe this way, seeing them grow up will be like watching his legacy instead of it being veiled with memories."

"Maybe this will finally help you heal." Betty said. "I know it's not the same but watching them helps me when I think about Polly."

Cheryl nodded. "It's like we both lost siblings."

They stood in silence just watching the twins interact with everyone else. Betty studied the room and the people in it and knew that it was true when people said that you made your own family. She couldn't imagine a different life with different people. She was glad that the twins would have these people in their lives. All that was missing were Veronica and Archie but she should have expected it. They were always late. She heard a car pulling up outside and knew it wasn't them because she knew the sound of Archie's truck which meant it was Attorney McCoy bringing the papers she had asked for. She went outside while everyone was distracted and met her by her car. Betty took the file from her hands and thanked her. She went back inside and slide the papers in her bedside drawer to read over later. As she was coming back from the bedroom Archie and Veronica finally showed up.

"B, I'm so sorry we're late. Archie was messing with the sink and got water all over the floor. I told him we needed to call a plumber but he was too stubborn." Veronica's voice carried through the whole house and Betty rolled her eyes.

"You're the one who picked him." She said jokingly as she entered the room.

"I wouldn't trade him for anything." She said as Betty hugged her. They moved into the living room together and Veronica stopped to study the twins. "I honestly thought you were kidding when you first called me."

Betty laughed and shook her her head. "Nope, instant family."

"Well if anyone can do it, it's you and Jug. You've been practically married since you were sixteen." She stated. "Now I need to meet these little angels."

That night they ate loads of food and chatted late into the night, even after the twins went to sleep. They had two new members of the family and everyone wanted to celebrate. From the outside it would look like the typical night for college age kids in a small town but it was so much more than that. It was a family coming together over sparkling cider and two beautiful children. It was a group of friends bonding more closely that ever before and forging a life long connection to one another. No matter what happened down the line the people inside that small trailer on the southside of a small town would in each other's lives for better or worse, all connected to those two small sparks of light that had entered their lives suddenly and without warning. But maybe that was the best kind of family, the one you don't expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be a bit of a time jump, but only a few months.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been six months since the twins had entered their lives and they had gotten into a schedule. After the twins had gotten all their vaccinations, they had been enrolled in an early headstart program so they could socialize with other children. It had been revealed though the files that there had only been five kids in the compound and the leader of the group had locked them away in a room when they had meetings. As a result Betty and Jughead learned that the twins preferred to sleep with the door open. Betty had also made sure the kids were in counseling which at their age was really just playing with the therapist for an hour but it made her feel better.While the kids were at head start she would write articles for the register and edit the articles for the other members of the register whole working out the layout and Jughead would meet with the serpents and discuss business while checking on on the Whyte Wyrm. They both made sure that they were home when the kids got out of their activities, and they would spend family time together. They also worked out a schedule with Cheryl, because she like to have the kids stay over sometimes and the twins loved to spend time with their aunt.

Everything in their life was steady and if they ever needed alone time there was no shortage of volunteers to watch the twins. Everyone had rallied around them and she had a suspicion that Cheryl and Veronica were competeing to be the favorite bit the thing that surprised her the most had been FP. He had welcomed them from the very first day and he made sure to spend time with them as much as he could. The first time that Dagwood had called him grampa, Betty had definately saw the tears in his eyes. She never would have imagined this life at nineteen but she wouldn't trade it. Right now she was waiting outside the preschool building for the twins to make their way out. She had gotten used to the stares by now but they still annoyed her, because of course in a town like Riverdale everyone knew the story of how she came to be raising the twins. She had thought the novelty would have run out by now but every time she showed up anywhere with the kids people stared, and she had a feeling they were all waiting for the ring to appear on her finger. She wasn't stupid and she had definately heard the whispers, but she and Jughead had talked about it and they both agreed that they didn't want to get married just yet. It was mostly because people seemed to expect it and neither of them were keen to throw themselves onto the fire that an engagement would cause in this town.

As the doors finally opened, the twins bounded over to her and she hogged each of them. "How was your day guys?" 

"We got to paint pictures!" Dagwood exclaimed. Juniper nodded excitedly next to him before digging in her bag. She pulled out her picture and handed it to Betty.

"It's us. You and Juggie and me and Dagwood." She said excitedly pointing to each in turn as Betty nodded at her. Dagwood sat his picture over hers and pointed at it.

"And I drew Hotdog." He said. Betty laughed.

"Well I think they're both great. What do you say we put them on the fridge at home?" She asked and they both smiled widely as they nodded. She carfully placed the pictures back onto their packs and got them into the car. It was Friday which meant they were going to meet Jughead at Pop's for milkshakes. They had started the tradition the first weekend they had the twins and it had become a staple in their house. She drove the short distance and found Jughead already in a both. The twins ran straight over to him for hugs before the slid into the booth, and he stood to greet her with a kiss. She leaned i nto him with a smile.

"I missed you today." She said. He smiled at her.

"I missed you too, but we have all weekend to spend together now. Especially since the twins are spending their weekend with Cheryl and Toni." He said and she looked up at him, before glancing at the kids. Neither was paying attention so she leaned into him as she spoke.

"You know we can't spend the whole weekend in bed, Veronica and Archie are coming over before they leave for their trip." She smiled. "But I think we can manage at least ninety five percent of it."

She saw the heat in his eyes and laughed as she pulled away and scooted into the booth casually. He slipped in beside her and laid his hand on her thigh, she dave him a warning look as she picked up a menu. At this point she didn't even need to look but it was something to distract her from the look he was giving her. Pop came to the booth with a big smile moments later and she smiled at him.

"Your usuals?" He asked. Jughead nodded and Pop turned to the twins playfully. "And will you be having the usual as well?"

The twins giggled and nodded. Betty loved bringing the twins here because they lit up when they saw Pop Tate. He had quickly become their favorite person much ti the dismay of everyone competing for their affection but Betty suspected it was because Pop slipped them free cookies when he saw them. She told him he'd spoil their appetite but every time he'd just wink and walk away and she couldn't bring herself to get mad because that was just the way Pop was and it made the twins so happy. She listened while they told Jughead all about their day and smiled when Dagwood took the hat off of Jug's head and pot it on his. He had started doing it a lot claiming that her wanted to be just like his Juggie and it melted her heart.

When their food and milkshakes arrived they started eating and Betty got back into the conversation. "So what are you guys going to do with Aunt Cheryl and Aunt Toni this weekend?"

"Going to the zoo." Juniper said excitedly. She was munching on her chicken strips and bouncing in her seat. Jughead smiled. 

"Wow, that sounds fun. What do you want to see?" He asked. Dagwood tilted his head.

"Giraffes." He said. "They're my favorite."

"I want to see a tiger." Juniper stated. Betty laughed.

"Why a tiger?" She asked. Juniper shrugged.

"They roar." Dagwood said and proceeded to demonstrate just how he thought they roared. Juniper joined him and Betty looked at Jughead with a grin. He laughed and grinned back. One thing Betty had learned about kids is that they were endlessly entertaining without even really trying. When the kids finally stooped roaring and started eating again she grabbed his hand under the table and gave it a squeeze, she couldn't imagine having kids with any other person. He squeezed her hand back and they finished their meals that way. Just as they were done the bell above the door rang and Cheryl steeped in, which prompted the twins to squeal and run toward her.

She swept them up in a hug before making her way over to their both. she sat down opposite to them with both twins on her lap. She snagged a leftover fry off Betty's plate and grinned at them.

"Cousin Betty, I heard you were expecting another bundle of joy." She said and Betty rolled her eyes.

"Really Cheryl? People have been saying that since we got the twins, it's like they think we're going to go baby crazy and make one of our own." She huffed. "I'm perfectly happy with these two at the moment."

"Well I just thought you should know the gossip, even though it's total BS." Cheryl flicked her hair.

"Where's Toni?" Jughead asked.

"Ma Cherie is busy setting up an epic fort for our movie night." She said smiling at the twins. "We're going to have a great weekend with these munchkins."

"Are you sure you want them for the whole weekend?" Betty asked.

"Oh, absolutely." She said. "Plus they're going to help me with something very special this weekend."

"You're not going to steal our kids are you?" Jughead asked jokingly.

"I would never." She grinned and Betty laughed.

"So what's so special?" She asked. Cheryl glanced at her and her cheeks went red.

"It's a surprise, you'll find out soon enough." She said and Betty's eyes widened.

"Oh My God! You're totally going to propose!" She exclaimed. Cheryl glanced around quickly and shushed her.

"Keep your voice down, I don't want the entire town to know yet." She said.

"Wow, I can't believe you're actually going to do it." Jughead said quietly. "Toni will be so surprised."

Cheryl smiled and nodded. Betty hugged her over the table and she stood up and took the twins by the hand. "Wish me luck."

As she left Betty watched in silience before she turned to Jughead. He was studying her with a strange look on his face and she waited for him to speak.

"Does it bother you that we're not engaged?" He asked. She shook her head.

"We've talked about this Jug, I'm honestly okay with it." She put her hand on his face as she spoke, "I don't want us to get engaged just because our friends are or because it's what everyone expects. I want it to be just for us and because we want to do it and not for any other reason." 

"I am going to marry you someday, Betty Cooper." He said as he kissed her. She pulled back and smiled at him.

"I'm counting on it."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains smut.

Veronica and Archie were sitting in the living room with Jughead while Betty grabbed snacks out of the cupboards and talking about the trip they were getting ready to take. Veronica had decided she wanted to travel a little and do photo shoots in more places to post on her beauty blog. She had a lot of followers on instagram and she had started making money from it and thought a change of locations would be a hit since she had done photos in most of the places in Riverdale. Archie was tagging along as she went and it was their first trip as a couple which Betty knew was a big deal to Veronica. At this point they planned to go to New York City, then to LA, London and Paris. They were going to be gone for at least a month and Betty was a little jealous that she and Jughead couldn't just pack up and travel like that but she was mostly content with how things were and she knew they could always travel when the kids were a little older and could come with them. She brought the snacks over to the coffee table and sat next to Jughead on the couch. Veronica was sitting on the chair across from them while Archie leaned against her legs on the floor.

"So, what are you guys most excited for?" Betty asked as she grabbed a cookie from the plate she had just sat down. Veronica leaned over to grab one as well before she spoke.

"Well I've always wanted to go to The Louvre." Veronica said and Archie looked up at her. She ran her hand through hi hair and he looked back at them on the couch.

"Honestly, I'm just glad to get out of this town for a while. I love Riverdale but sometimes I just want to leave and never look back." Archie said. They all took a moment to think about what he had said before anyone spoke. Betty knew why he felt the need to leave, their high school experiences weren't sunshine and roses but she knew that whatever had happened in this town she wouldn't feel right taking the kids out of it. Their parents had grown up in this town and it felt connected to them somehow.

"Are you sure you'll only be gone a month?" Jughead asked. Archie shrugged and Veronica looked down at him.

"Of course we'll only be gone a month, why would we be gone longer than that?" She asked. Betty looked at Jughead and he seemed to be studying Archie with a calculating look in his eye. She touched his arm and he glanced at her and shook his head as if he was shaking thoughts away.

"I just mean that maybe you'll take a liking to one of the places you're visiting and decide to move there. Archie probably wouldn't have any qualms about it, isn't that what the early twenties is for? Doing reckless things?" Jughead asked and Veronica rolled her eyes.

"We're not normal people." She said quietly. Jughead shrugged.

"Maybe that's a good reason to do it, we never got to be normal kids and do all the reckless things you're supposed to. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to move to a completly new place where no one knows who you are, it would be an opportunity to change and not to be those kids that watched a murder or joined a gang." He said and Veronica looked at Betty with wide eyes. Betty cleared he throat and turned his face to look at her.

"You realize we can't do that right? We can't just move away and forget about our lives, we have the kids to think about." Betty said quietly. Jughead blinked as if coming out of a deep thought before his eyes cleared and met hers. He seemed to shake himself before he smiled at her and brought his hand up to cup her face.

"I know we can't do that, but there's nothing stopping them from doing it." He said as she looked at him. Veronica cleared her throat and they pulled away from each other and turned to her.

"Well as interesting as that sounds, we will be coming home in a month. We have family here and as much as we've gone through this place is our home." She smiled at Betty and reached over to grab her hand. "Plus, it's the place my best friend is and I'd never leave her behind."

"Can't break up B and V." Archie said and they all laughed.

The rest of the night was spent consuming junk food and watching movies together until Veronica and Archie had to leave. They had an early start the next morning and still had to pack a few things for the trip. Veronica promised to bring them back something from each place they went and made sure to tell Betty to say goodbye to the twins for her. After they were gone Betty started cleaning up the mess they made while Jughead was busy taking the laundry out. She gathered up the empty plates and cups and sat them in the sink, then she wrapped the leftover snacks and sat them in the fridge. She had started washing the plates when Jughead came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned into him as he reached over to turn the water off.

"Why don't you leave those until morning? I have other plans for tonight." He said. His breath tickled her ear and she shivered as she turned to face him. She took his face in her hands and studied him.

"Are you sure you're okay? You were a little weird earlier."She said and he sighed.

"I'm fine Betty. I just had a moment of longing to get out of this town, but I'm okay really. We can always travel when the kids are older." He said. She looked into his eyes for a moment.

"Are you sure that's all it is?" She asked.

"Positive." He smiled at her and leaned down to kiss her. "Now can we just forget about everything for a while?"

Betty nodded and brought him down for a kiss. She felt him lean into it and then he picked her up and put her on the counter as she pulled his shirt off. He pulled away for a moment to yank her shirt over her head and she leaned her head back as he trailed kisses down her neck. She was looking at the room with her her eyes heavily lidded and her breath coming in pants when it suddenly hit her and she laughed lightly. He pulled away from her and looked at her with a question in his eyes.

"This is familiar." She said motioning around them.

"Yeah, but this time let's hope there's no interruption." He said and she grinned at him.

"Would you even answer the door?" She asked and he shook his head.

"Not when I have you in front of me like this." He said and she pulled him in to a kiss. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him into her, his hands started running over her body and she felt him unsnap her bra. She pulled it off and he looked her over before he lifted her off the counter and carried her to the bed. He kneeled above her with a knee on each side of her body as he slowly pulled her skirt off and left her in only her panties. She looked up at him just watching him study her body. His eyes finally came up to meet hers and he leaned down to kiss her thoroughly while his hands rested on her sides just under her breasts.

"Whatever God created you must have spent extra time on you because I can't imagine anything more perfect." He said gently when he pulled away and just like that he managed to make her blush. He had seen her body a million times and still managed to find ways to make her feel like she was the only thing in his world. It was embarrassing how quickly he could reduce her into a puddle just by using his words  and he hand't even touched her yet. 

She pulled him down on top of her and kissed him hard. His hands finally made their way to her breasts and she gasped when his rough calloused fingers brushed against her nipple. He trailed kisses down her neck and onto her chest. He breathing came in quick spurts when his lips wrapped around her nipple and his hand trailed down and pushed off her panties. His hand started working her over and she moaned as he moved his fingers in and out. He knew exactly which buttons to push and she felt pleasure rolling over her as he moved. It didn't take him long to get her to the point when she felt tightening low in her belly, her breath was coming quickly and she knew he knew she was close. He moved his mouth from her breast and looked at her.

"Not yet." He said in a rough voice and she looked at him. He kept moving and she was getting closer and closer, but she tried to hold on as he watched her. He kissed her solidly then moved away. "I love watching you fall apart for me."

That was the last she registered before pleasure poured over her and she was writhing on the sheets. He eyes rolled back and she moaned loudly until the orgasm passed. She was still shaking when her vision came back and she registered him above her again. He was pulling the belt out of his pants and she reached her hands up to help but he pushed her away lightly and smiled down at her.

"I'm not done with you yet, rest for a moment you'll need it." He said so Betty just watched as he stripped his clothes off and leaned over her. She watched as he lined himself up before her entered her swiftly. She arched up into him and brought him down for a kiss. He moved his hips roughly into hers and she met every thrust with her own. They moved together in a practiced way that never failed to bring them both to the edge.

She felt a second orgasm building and sped up her movements which he followed. She was brought over that glorious edge once again and felt herself clench around him. She heard him curse as his rhythm faltered for a moment before he started moving regularly again. She pulled him close and ran her hands through his hair as she nibbled on his ear which she knew got him closer and she purposely clenched around him and felt him finally release.

They stayed like that fro a moment before he lowered himself onto her and they held each other as they each caught their breaths. She ran her hands over his back as they laid there until he rolled over to lay beside her. She turned to face him and he pushed her hair out of her face.

"You are the best thing I've ever had the pleasure of calling mine Betty Cooper." He said quietly. She looked into his eyes and smiled at him.

"I love you Juggie." She said. "I can't imagine a life without you in it. In all the universes, I know you're by my side. I'd choose you in a thousand different lives Jughead Jones, but I'm exceptionally glad I get you in this one." She said and he kissed her.

They spent the rest of the night showing the other just how much they loved them and then proceeded to spend the rest of the weekend the same. They were thankful that in all of the people in the world they had managed to find the one person who complimented them in every way and Betty thought that maybe there was something to that whole soulmate thing.   

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

It had been an amazing weekend but Betty was happy that Cheryl and Toni were bringing the kids back that afternoon. She had missed them so much and she was excited to see how the proposal went. She knew Toni had to have said yes or Cheryl would have called already but she was still excited to see them and the ring. She knew Cheryl had to have gone all out on the ring because she was a little extreme which made Betty all the more curious to see it. Jughead thought it might be a modest ring because no way would Toni wear something extravagant but Betty knew that if Cheryl wanted her to, Toni would wear just about anything. She heard the car pull up outside and bounced off the couch and over to the door while Jughead laughed at her. 

She swung the door open waited for the twins to get out of the car. They ran to her while Toni and Cheryl gathered their stuff from the back of the car. Betty pulled them inside and hugged them tight, as she heard the door close she looked over and saw Cheryl rolling her eyes.

"Could you be anymore of a mom? They were gone for a weekend, they haven't come back from war. Let the poor things breathe." She said playfully. Betty laughed and released them only to have them run to Jughead for hugs. She stood and walked over to them to take the bags and set them on the table.

"Alright, let's see it." She held her hand out and Toni put her hand into her outspread palm. Betty observed the diamond and knew just by the size of it that it must have cost a small fortune. She grinned and turned to Jughead waving Toni's hand around. "I told you it'd be extravagant."

Jughead got up and came over to observe it then rolled his eyes. "Fine you win the bet."

"You were betting on our engagement ring?" Toni asked and Betty laughed.

"Yeah, I said it would be expensive because it's Cheryl and Jug insisted you'd demand something smaller." Betty said and Toni looked at him. 

"You let me down Topaz, you were supposed to ask for a smaller one." He joked and she rolled her eyes at him. She studied the ring on her finger as it shimmered in the light and smiled at Cheryl before leaning over to kiss her lightly.

"I don't mind the extravagance. Whatever she wants, I'm okay with." She said softly. Cheryl looked like she was about to say something before Toni held up a hand. "Except our wedding guest list. We are not inviting the whole town, only friends and family."

"I want the whole town to witness our wedding, TT. They'll probably never see another like it because we're amazing." Cheryl pouted. "But if you want small and intimate, that's what we'll do."

They seemed to be in their own world so Betty pulled Jughead back over to the couch where the twins were playing in the corner of the room. She figured Toni and Cheryl would eventually realize that they had walked away from the conversation and rejoin them but until then she was content to cuddle with him on the couch and watch the kids play. Jughead was running his hand down her arm ad she laid her head on his shoulder as they enjoyed the quiet domesticity of their lives. Finally Cheryl and Toni sat across from them and Betty focused on them rather than the kids.

"So I won't be able to take the kids the weekend after next, just so you know." Cheryl said. 

"Why?" Betty asked.

"Well I'm going to take Toni to New York for a couple of weeks to celebrate our engagement. A little mini holiday before we start planning things." Cheryl said.

"That sounds like fun. Maybe you can meet up with Veronica and Archie, they don't leave for LA until next week." Betty said. Jughead shifted next to her and she moved to give him space to stretch out. Cheryl nodded and turned to Toni.

"We have loads planned don't we ,TT?" She said and Toni nodded.

"Yeah, we're even going to a gallery opening. I love photography so Cheryl set up a lesson with one of the artist that's displaying their work." Toni said in excitement.

"That sounds interesting." Jughead said and Betty noticed his voice seemed a little flat when he spoke. She turned to him in concern but his face was unreadable.

"Are you okay?" She asked.He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm fine Betts, just a little tired." He glanced over at the kids. "I think I'm going to lay down for a bit, can you manage the kids on your own?"

"I'll be fine Juggie. Go rest." She kissed him lightly before he stood and made his way to their bedroom. She turned to Cheryl and Toni who were both studying her and Cheryl smirked.

"Jeez Betty, did you even let the man sleep all weekend or were you two, too busy to take a break?" She grinned and Betty blushed bright red which prompted Toni to join the laughing.

"Cheryl, there are children present!" Betty exclaimed and Cheryl shrugged.

"They don't know what we're talking about." She said.

"You better slow it down or that gossip is going to be truth." Toni said playfully and Betty rolled her eyes.

"We use birth control." Betty said. Cheryl and Toni laughed while Betty sat glaring at them. 

"Alright, we'll stop teasing." Cheryl said. "But when you do decide to have a baby, this town is going to lose it."

"I know." Betty sighed. "They are so obsessed with other people's lives."

"That's exactly why Cheryl and I are leaving for a couple of weeks." Toni said. "This town is going to be insufferable once they learn about our engagement. They think they are entitled to have an opinion on everything from our engagement ring to our wedding dresses, we just wanted to escape that for a while and have time to enjoy this by ourselves before we bring the whole town and it's opinions into it."

"I totally get that." Betty said. 

They talked for a little while longer before Cheryl and Toni headed off. Betty checked on the twins before she made her way back to the bedroom. She wanted to make sure Jughead wasn't getting sick becasue that was the last thing they needed right now. When she got to the room the door was open and Jughead was shoving things into the pockets of his serpents jacket and Betty leaned against the dorr frame to watch him for a moment before she cleared her throat. He turned to look at her and she raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you were tired?" She asked.

"Sweet Pea called. Serpent buisness." He stated and she huffed out a breath.

"You do realize I'm a serpent too?" She said. He looked at her.

"I know that Betty, but someone needs to stay with the kids. I promise I'll call if it's anything serious." He said and kissed her as he made his way out the door.

"Are you sure you should be going? You might be sick." She grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. "Can't Sweet Pea handle it? He's your right hand."

"I have to go Betty, it's my job. I'm the leader." He cupped her face in his hands. "I'm sure it's nothing. I'll be home soon."

"Okay go if you have to." She sighed. "I love you."

"I love you too." He said. With that he ducked out the door and she went over to play with the kids. It almost felt like he was pulling away from her but she didn't let herself think about it for to long because she didn't want to think about the implications of it. Instead she focused on the twins and the game they were playing, she joined in readily and let her mind fill with princesses and imaginary dragons.


	7. Chapter 7

The last few weeks Jughead had become more distant than ever and every time Betty would ask about it he would say something about 'serpent business'. Betty was becoming increasingly frustrated with it and even the twins had noticed his absence. He had missed dinner with them with increasing frequency and Dagwood had started asking where Juggie was, but Betty didn't have an answer. She had finally had enough and decided it was time to speak to him.She had put the kids to bed hours ago and was currently sitting in the living room with a book waiting for him to get home. She heard the door swing open and sat her book down. He sat his keys in the dish by the door and took his jacket off before he noticed her. She stood and crossed her arms as he looked at her.

"Betty, I thought you'd be asleep by now." He said studying her cautiously.

"I stayed up because we need to talk Jug." She said and walked closer to him.

"About what?" He asked. She rolled her eyes.

"Really Jug? You can't think off anything we'd need to talk about? Like maybe the fact that you're hardly home anymore and the twins have started asking where you are." She hissed out and he flinched.

"I told you. It was serpent business, we've been dealing with it." He said quietly and Betty scoffed.

"Right, 'Serpent Business'. I forgot, but maybe you should have checked that story with Sweet Pea because he told me things have been calm the last few months." She glared and him as he shifted on the spot. "So you want to tell me what's really going on?"

"Betty......It's complicated." He said and she rolled her eyes.

"Well explain it to me then." She demanded.

"Everyone's leaving." He stated.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She asked. He paced away from her running his hands through his hair and she followed behind him. He turned to face her as he started speaking again.

"Veronica and Archie. Cheryl and Toni. They all left." He said. She stared at him for a moment in confusion.

"They're coming back." She said hesitantly. He let out a frustrated noise and started pacing again.

"That's not the point Betty!" He raised his voice a little and Betty glanced toward the hallway. "They got out, they were able to leave. We'll never get out of this godforsaken town."

"You're not making any sense Jug!" She exclaimed. He spun to face her.

"We are trapped Betty, we're never getting out of here." He stared at her. "Don't you get it? I didn't want to end up stuck in this town, I always thought we'd leave at some point and start a life somewhere else but we can't because your cracked out sister can't take responsibility for her own actions." Betty turned away from him and glared at the wall.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean."

"It means I don't want to stay in this town for the rest of my life Betty. I want to go and explore the world, do something worthwhile." He exclaimed. Betty recoiled in hurt.

"So me and the kids, that's not worthwhile to you?" She asked. He reached out for her and she backed away. He dropped his arms and looked at her.

"That's not what I meant Betty." He said. She glared at him.

"It's what you said." She threw her arms up in frustration. "You want to see the world so badly then go. Go explore and do whatever the hell you want. I'd hate to think that we were  _holding you back."_

"I never said that!" He exclaimed.

"You implied it, which is enough." She crossed her arms and looked at him. "You want to get out of this town, be my guest but when you don't find whatever you're looking for just remember that it was your choice to walk away."

"Betty.....please. I'm sorry." He reached out for her again and she again took a step back.

"Get out." She said firmly. He studied her face and she stared at him.

"Betty....." He started. She held up a hand.

"You may say sorry but it doesn't change the fact that you basically said you regret our family, so just go. Go explore, go see the world you want so badly and just leave us alone. We'll be fine on our own." She said. 

"You really want me to go?" He asked.

"Yes, I do." She said. He sighed.

"Fine, I'll go but Betty...." She looked up at him. "I will never regret our family. I will never forgive myself for saying that."

The door closed behind him and she heard his motorcycle start up then drive away. It was then that she let herself sink to the ground. She covered her mouth with her hand to muffle the sobs. She felt the tears roll down her face and the sobs racked her body.She had lost the one person who had been there since the beginning and she never knew it could hurt this much. She didn't know how long she sat there but suddenly her door was opening again and FP was standing there. He crouched next to her and she looked at him.

"I heard yelling, then Jug left. Thought I'd check in." He said gently. She threw her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder. He didn't say anything, just held her until she cried it out. She wasn't sure what had happened because she was suddenly in his arms as he carried her to her bed. He tucked her in but there were no more tears, she just felt numb. It was like she couldn't feel anything as she stared blankly at the wall. FP sat on the bed next to her but she barely registered it. "Whatever happened Betty, I know you two can work it out. You need to get some sleep, but I'll be here in the morning."

The last thing she registered was him kissing her on the forehead before he walked out of the room. She fell into a fitful sleep and knew the next few days were going to be rough.  

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was feeling inspired for this story today so here is another chapter for you all. This one will be Jughead's POV.

The moment he walked out he wanted to go back and hold her. He wished he had never said something so stupid but there was no way to take it back. He drove straight to the Whyte Wyrm where he found Sweet Pea behind the bar. He brought a drink and sat it in front of Jughead without saying anything. Jughead picked it up and tipped it back, all he wanted was to forget everything that had just happened and more than anything he wanted to be home with Betty in his arms. It hurt to think he may never have that again because he fucked it up so badly. The Wyrm was practically empty with only a few people wandering around and he knew most of the serpents were home at this time of the night. He leaned his head into the bar and tapped it for another drink. Sweet Pea was there instantly and Jughead looked up at him to notice he had a look in his eye like he wanted to say something but Jughead was his leader and he didn't want to speak for fear of repercussions. Jughead sighed and sat up to face him.

"What Sweet Pea? If you've got something to say be my guest." He said. Sweet Pea studied his face before he spoke.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but shouldn't you be at home?" He shrugged and leaned on the bar in front of Jughead, "You've been in here a lot lately but you're usually home by now."

"Betty kicked me out." He saw Sweet Pea's eyes widen. "I deserved it."

"Betty is one of the most levelheaded person I know and she loves you with everything she has, what the hell did you do for her to throw you out?" He asked. Jughead ran his hands over his face and let out a deep breath.

"I said some things I shouldn't have. I didn't mean them, I was just frustrated with life in general, but she'll never forgive me for it." He looked down at his hands. "Life seems to be kicking me from every direction right now."

"Maybe you should stop drinking." Sweet Pea said it hesitantly. "You're father is an alcoholic which means you're more susceptible to it and like I said before, you've been here a lot lately."

"It just takes the edge off Sweet Pea, I'm not an alcoholic." He snapped and Sweet Pea held his hands up in a calming motion.

"All I'm saying is you sound like you're looking for a way out of your life, or at least a way to numb your feelings. Your father was looking for a way out too and he found it at the bottom of a bottle. I just think that you should maybe talk to someone Jug, you don't want your life to turn out like his. He lost his wife and daughter and he damn near lost you too. Even if you think you're not an alcoholic it couldn't hurt to talk to someone, hell you could even talk to your father about it. You need to get some help Jug, Before you lose them completely." He said and walked away.

Jughead looked at the bottle in his hand and thought over the last few weeks of his life. He had found himself in this very spot more times than he'd like to admit and he knew he'd been drinking a lot lately. He hadn't even thought about his father and his predisposition, but now he looked at it from another perspective and he saw his father. He had been spending less time at home and making excuses to come here and drink. He never had a lot at once but he read that if you had at least one beer a day then you were likely an alcoholic. He was disgusted with his self, he had pushed away his family and hadn't even realized how much in the bottle he was. He sat the bottle on the bar and walked out.

He walked all the way to his father's trailer because he knew that driving in his state was bad idea. He knocked on the door expecting to have to wait for a while but the door instantly swung open. FP looked at him and shook his head before allowing him to walk in. He then turned and walked to the couch with Jughead following him, and when they both sat he blew out a breath.

"Well boy, you've really fucked it up." FP said quietly. Jughead leaned forward and put his head in his hands.

"I know dad." He sighed out then turned his face to look at him. "But I think I really need help now, and I didn't know where else to go."

"You know you can always come to me Jug. Tell me what's going on." FP sat up and studied his face.

"I've been drinking....a lot and I don't know if I can stop myself. I really screwed everything up dad, Betty hates me and she has a right to. I've been a dick for weeks, hell I even told her I wanted to leave, I told her I felt trapped and it's not even true. I want to go and travel but I'd never leave without her or the kids, they're my whole life and I've fucked it up because I was already half in the bottle when we spoke, and then I just went right back and drank some more." His voice broke as the tears started coming. "I need help dad, I don't want to lose my family."

FP pulled him into his chest as Jughead cried and he ran his hand through his hair in comfort. He held him close until the tears slowed then he cupped his face in his hands.

"Listen to me Jug, you're going to sleep here tonight and tomorrow I'll take you to a meeting with me. It won't be easy and you'll have to work on it everyday, but you are going to get through this and then you're going to apologize to Betty and explain this all to her. You are not going to lose your family, I went through that because I refused to get help but you aren't me okay? You are a better man than I was and Betty is a better woman than your mother. I truly believe that." He said. Jughead nodded and FP kissed him on the forehead.

"We're going to get through this." Jughead said and FP nodded.

"You are going to get through this. That girl loves you so much and you love her the same. There is no doubt in my mind that you two will get through this and be stronger." FP assured him.

They sat together in silence for a long time before Jughead started drifting off and FP moved to his room after draping a blanket over Jughead on the couch. It would take a lot of work but Jughead was determined to get better for his family.

 

Jughead jolted awake the next morning to the sound of children laughing outside the trailer. He knew who it was the moment he heard them and he desperately wanted to join them but he didn't want to push his luck with Betty so he just listened until the car drove away. He sat up with a sigh and saw FP already at the table and joined him. He poured himself a cup of coffee and brushed his hair out of his eyes. He could feel that the were red and puffy from the crying the night before but his father didn't mention it. He was soon being ushered into the truck and driven to the community center where his father lead him to a room full of chairs. There were people moving about and a coffee pot in the corner nest to a plate of donuts. FP put a hand on his shoulder and guided him deeper into the room to take a seat near the podium.

"You don't have to speak, but some people find it helpful." FP explained.

"Have you spoken?" Jughead asked.

"Yeah, people don't judge here because they know how it is. This is just something to help you stay sober, a place to talk about your issues with people who understand. Some of the people bring their family or friends with them which is encouraged. It helps them share their problem with their loved ones who may not understand it while still having people around who understand completly and can help you explain if you get stuck. Who knows, maybe one day you can bring Betty here." He said.

Throughout the rest of the meeting Jughead listened to the stories that others told and found himself relating and understanding and although he didn't share he was glad that his dad had brought him because he felt lighter after the meeting, like maybe he could do this and he could get better for his family. Going to the meeting helped him feel hopeful and he knew he would attend them more with his father. He had something to fight for and this was one fight he didn't intend on losing.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been two weeks since Betty had spoken to Jughead. She of course knew that he was staying with his father because it wasn't like they could avoid each other being that close but neither of them had breached the distance between them. Each morning as she took the kids to school he would be on the porch with a cup of coffee and she let the twins talk to him for a moment before she would usher them into the car. She knew he regreted what he had said but a part of her knew he had meant it. He felt trapped with them and she didn't want him to give up his life because her family was a train wreck but it made her wonder why he was still here, when he could have gone anywhere in the world. She wasn't ready to speak to him and bring him back into her life yet but she knew at some point they'd have to talk about it because they had the kids to think about and for better or worse the judge had given custody to both of them, so he still had rights to the kids and she wasn't going to take it away from him.

As she came back from dropping the kids off, Jughead was sitting on the doorstep and she knew as much as she wasn't ready and as much as she wanted to avoid this for a little longer he wasn't going to. It did give her a little hope that he was the first to break the uneasy truce they had, but she still wanted to get back in the car and drive away. Instead she stepped past him and opened the door to allow them both in. As it closed behind her she blew out a breath and looked at him. She waited for him to speak because she didn't want to be the one to break the silence that engulfed them.

"I'm sorry." He said and she raised an eyebrow at him. He surely didn't think it was going to be that easy. He shifted on the spot and blew out a breath. "Look, I'll never forgive myself for what I did, for what I said and I don't expect you too either, but I need you to know that I didn't mean any of it. I was frustrated because this town has done so much to us and everyone was leaving on these exciting adventures and I knew that we couldn't. I want to share the world with you but all we've ever seen is this town."

"Right, you feel trapped in this town. You've said that." She crossed her arms and looked at him. He made a frustrated noise and ran his hand through his hair.

"This is coming out wrong." He stated. "What I meant is I want to see the world, and go on adventures and explore life outside of this town, but I don't want to do it without you or the twins. I want to do everything with our family Betty, I would never regret any part of the life we have together."

"Then why did you say all of that crap the other night? Why would you even imply it?" She asked. He moved toward her as if he wanted to touch her but stopped his movement when she stepped away.

"I'm not trying to excuse myself or anything, but that night I had been drinking and I said some things I didn't mean." He said and Betty looked at him.

"You were drunk?" She snapped. "You came home, to me and the kids, on your bike when you were drunk? You could have killed yourself! Then what would I tell the kids, our friends, your father?"

"I did a stupid thing Betty. Believe me, I know but I promise you, I will never do that again. I have way to much to live for which is why I'm getting help. I'll get better for you and the kids, I'll get better for me so that I can be a better father and a better partner." He was watching her as he said it and she looked him over before she spoke.

"What do you mean you're getting help?" She asked. He smiled but it wasn't a happy one, it was filled with pain and anger. Anger at himself.

"I always knew I had more of a chance, becasue of my dad you know, but I just never thought it would happen to me. It was stupid, and I really think I fucked it all up, my life and my family. I always told me I wouldn't be like my father but I guess you can't stop DNA." The sadness in his voice made her step toward him and she grabbed his hand in hers. His head snapped up and their eyes met, he seemed to be studying her face and she gave him a small smile.

"You haven't ruined everything Jug. I love you, and the kids love you, that will never change. I'm glad you told me, and that you're getting help." She said. He brought his hands up to cup her face and kissed her. She leaned into him and everything felt right, this is where she wanted to be. It was comfortable and familiar and safe but she forced herself to pull away. "I'm not ready for you to come home yet."

She could see the hurt in his eyes before he masked it and nodded. He stepped away from her and she wanted to call him back but she knew they had to deal with this.

"I want to come home Betty, but I'll wait until you're ready. I'd wait forever for you." He said softly.

"When you get you're one month chip then we'll talk about it, but I'm here for you Jug. I support you, I want you to know that." She sighed and met his eyes. "But I need you to be sober before you come home. What happened between us cannot happen again, and I think when you come back we'll have to work on it but for now....just know that I love you."

"I will do this Betty, I promise you. Nothing is more important to me than you and the kids." He said and she nodded. He stepped over to the door and opened it. "I love you too Betty, always."

As the door shut behind him she moved to the kitchen and grabbed her bag off of the table. She pulled out the item she had picked up at the store and blew out a breath as she moved toward the bathroom with it in her hand. She had noticed on the calendar this morning that she was late and her heart had started racing so after she had dropped the kids off she swung by the store and grabbed a pregnancy test.

She sat on the floor of the bathroom after she took the test. She was scared to see the results because she didn't know how Jughead would react if it was positive. They already had the twins to think about and adding on to that might cause him to spiral. She knew now that he had been drinking when they fought but a part of her worried he was serious when he spoke about their family. She didn't want him to feel even more stuck by something she hadn't planned. She almost didn't want to look at the test when the alarm beeped but she knew that no matter what it said, it wasn't going to change what it said.

She sat up and grabbed the test off the edge of the sink. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer before she looked at it. There in big bold words was the word she was silently hoping wasn't there. Pregnant.

"Shit." 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: In this chapter there is discussion of abortion.

Betty had left the twins with Cheryl and Toni who were back from their trip and happy to spend some time with them and she went to the clinic where she had made an appointment. When she checked in she was handed a clipboard and a stack of papers to fill out. She managed to fill them out quickly and she turned them back in before she took a seat in the corner of the room. She was virtually alone in the waiting room with only one other person and she was surprised because she had expected to run into someone else and have to make small talk. She hadn't told Jughead about the pregnancy yet so she was thankful that there was no one to take the news of her visit back to him. It didn't take long for her to be called back and she followed the nurse back to a room and allowed her to take her vitals. 

She was left in the room with only her own thoughts for company. She wasn't so sure that she wanted to be having a baby right now when they had gotten settled with the twins and their relationship was up in the air, but she knew she couldn't make any decisions without at least telling him first. She didn't want to cause a relapse but she also didn't want to have secrets between them, especially something so big. She had decided to meet with a doctor to at least discuss her options so she could make the best decision for herself and their family. She glanced up when she heard a knock at the door before it opened and revealed the doctor who sat in her chair and faced Betty.

"Now Miss Cooper, I know you're here to discuss your options." She stated and Betty nodded. "Right do you know how far along you are?"

"I think it's about seven weeks." She said quietly. The doctor made a note in her file before setting it down on the table.

"Okay, you are still within the time frame for an abortion if that's what you choose but we need to do a workup and discuss all of the options in detail. What are you leaning toward?" She asked politely as she stood and came over to Betty. She motioned for her to lay back as she felt around her stomach.

"I don't know if having a baby right now is the best choice. I already have two young kids to take care of and my relationship isn't in it's best place right now but I'm also not sure if abortion is the best option. I haven't discussed any of it with him yet." She said and the doctor nodded.

"Okay well we can discuss that today." She went back to her file and looked up at Betty. "You said you had two little ones at home, is this not you're first pregnancy?"

"It is, but I have custody of my niece and nephew." Betty said.

"And your husband doesn't know about the pregnancy yet?" She asked.

"We're not married but no, he doesn't know yet. I don't want to cause him to backslide, he just got sober and this could make things worse." She said quietly. The doctor nodded and closed the file and took some papers out of the drawer in front of her and handed them to Betty.

"These are some papers to look over in your own time about all of you options if you have any questions after our discussion." She said and Betty tucked them into her bag to look over later.

After that they had an in depth conversation about each options and the risks of each, before the doctor gave her a full prenatal workup. Betty left the office still unsure about what she was going to do but she knew she had to tell Jughead before she made a decision about anything. She drove back home and put the papers from the doctor in her bedside drawer to look at later before she walked over to FP's trailer and knocked on the door. FP answered and smiled at Betty. She gave him a hug and walked in to the trailer.

"Where's Jug, I kind of need to talk to him." She said.

"He's at the Wyrm." FP said and Betty spun to face his with her heart beating fast in her chest. FP held his hands up. "He's not drinking Betty, Sweet Pea called him."

"Should he even be there? What if he slips up?" She asked and FP made he sit down at the table.

"He's okay Betty. Sweet Pea knows what's going on with him, he won't let him touch a drink." He said and Betty blew out a breath before she stood again.

"Tell him to come over when he get's home." She said and FP nodded.

When she got back to her trailer she sat on the bed and tried to read through some of the things the doctor had given her but she couldn't stop the worry going through her mind so she slipped on her serpents jacket and got back into the car to drive to the Whyte Wyrm. It wasn't a far drive from their house so it didn't take long for her to be in the parking lot, she jumped out and walked in. She stopped at the door to allow her eyes to adjust to the dark interior of the bar before she made her way to the actual bar where Fangs was currently standing.

He saw her standing there and came over to her. "You looking for Jones?" 

"Where is he?" She asked and Fangs motioned to the doors that she knew lead to the offices in the back of the bar. 

She went through the doors quickly and walked down to the door labled 'Manager'. She knocked lightly and Sweet Pea opened it, when he saw he his eyes widened before he moved to the side to allow her in. Jughead looked up from the desk where he was studying some papers and when his eyes landed on her he stood and came toward her.

"Are you okay Betty? Is something wrong?" He asked and she crossed her arms as she looked at him.

"I was worried about you. Should you even be in a bar Jug, you haven't been in AA that long." She said.

"I'm fine Betty. I'm sober, I promise. I came in through the back, I didn't even go near the alcohol. I'm sober." He said quietly.

"Okay, I believe you." She glanced at Sweet Pea. "But we do need to talk, privately."

Sweet Pea took her que and left the room closing the door softly behind him. Jughead looked at her as he leaned against the desk. She sat her bag down on the chair in the corner of the room and took a deep breathe before she met his eyes.

"I'm pregnant." She stated and waited for his reaction. She noticed his body tense and she steadied her breathing before she moved toward him. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"I don't blame you Betty." He reached out and pulled her into him as he laid a kiss on her forehead. They stayed like that in each others arms for a long moment, taking the comfort the other was offering before he put his hands on her arms and pushed her away slightly to met her eyes. "What are we going to do? Whatever you decide I'll stand by you."

"I don't know Jug, I have no idea what I want to do right now." She felt the tears sting her eyes and buried he face in his chest. "For now I just want you to hold me."


	11. Chapter 11

Betty still hadn't made a decision about the pregnancy but she felt comforted by the fact that Jughead knew and was supportive of whatever she decided. They were on their way to the school for parents night and she was interested in what the teacher was going to say because she had noticed that the twins were above the learning curve, as they could already read and write their names and they were only three. As she pulled up to the familiar building she saw other parents going in and out of the doors so she got out and they made their way to the front. Jughead had placed his hand on the small of her back as they walked, it was a casual and comfortable gesture of two people who had been together for as long as they had and it made her smile at him. They reached the twins classroom quickly and entered it to see other parents walking around and observing the room as the teacher made his way around to talk to each of them.

Betty walked over to look at the art on the walls, which had obviously been painted by the students and stuck up. It was at least very colorful but the kids in this age group weren't the most artistic, it still managed to bring a smile to her face. She had loved painting as a kid and made a mental note to get the twins some finger paint later. It finally seemed to be their turn to speak to the teacher because he made his way over to them and Betty turned to smile at him. Jughead shook his hand and he smiled politely back.

"You're Juniper and Dagwood's guardians aren't you?" He asked and Betty nodded. He smiled. "They are truly two of the brightest kids I've had the pleasure of teaching. I know the circumstances around the two of you raising them aren't the best but from what I've seen and heard from the twins you are doing an excellent job. They love to talk about you and I can see that they love you a lot, it's admirable what you've done."

"I'm glad we have them, at this point I don't know what I'd do without them." Betty said.

"We wouldn't trade them for anything. I'm not going to lie and say it hasn't been difficult but we wouldn't trade them for anything." Jughead added and she smiled up at him. She was so glad the he was here with her, it had been a rough couple months but she thought the were finally getting back on track.

"Well, I wanted to speak to you about placing the twins in the gifted program. I think it would be good for them given their obvious intelligence." He said and Betty looked at him.

"Would that mean they wouldn't be in your class anymore?" She asked.

"No, it's just an extension offered by the school. They'd be in my class for most of the day with their friends but near the end of the school day they'll go to another classroom with other kids in the program and be offered higher level work to help nurture their cognitive thinking and decision making skills." He explained and they nodded at him.

"It sounds interesting. I think they'd love it." Jughead said.

"Absolutely. We'd be fine with them entering the gifted program." She stated and the teacher smiled and clapped his hands together.

"Great! I think it'll be very beneficial to them." He said before walking away to great another set of parents.

A mother standing in the corner of the room came over and stood next to them. Betty greeted her politely as she was looking at the art that had caught Betty's attention a few minutes ago and she was studying it like she hadn't actually come over to look at it, but that it was the only reason she could think to come over before she turned to study them and it made Betty a little uncomfortable. The way she was eyeing them was like she wanted to say something but she couldn't. Jughead raised an eyebrow at her before he wrapped an arm around Betty and stepped closer.

"Can we help you?" He asked it politely but Betty could hear the barely veiled annoyance. She patted him lightly on the side in warning.

"Sorry, I overheard Mr. Blake telling you about the girted program, and my daughter is in it." She said.

"Okay." Betty did her best to not make it sound like a question but she really wasn't sure what the woman's point was.

"Well, I'm sure you have bright kids but you wouldn't want them to fall behind right? The gifted program is quite difficult." She said in a fake concerned voice and Betty barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 

"I'm sure they'll be fine, and if they're not we can just take them out of the program." Jughead said.

"I'm only concerned because of the situation they're growing up in, it would be so easy for them to fall behind." She said and Betty scoffed.

"What situation? They're perfectly fine with us, I think what you're avoiding right now is that you don't think they're smart enough because we live on the southside right?" She snapped. Jughead ran his hand along her back in a comforting gesture.

"It's just that you are both very young, I just don't think you can give them the time they deserve or need for this program. You're probably working all the time, and that gang in the southside is dangerous." She said. Betty wanted so badly to slap her but resisted the urge.

"Look we don't need your fake concern so why don't you leave us alone." Jughead said.

"And for your information, not that it's any of your business, but we're not 'working all the time'. We both own businesses and that gang you're talking about isn't dangerous at all, in fact we know most of them and they're harmless. Our kids are well taken care of, we certainly don't need you're input." Betty said and turned away from the woman, who stomped away and she rolled her eyes.

She was so tired of the whole northside/southside thing. She had friends and family on both sides and everyone got along fine, it made her so mad when people couldn't set aside their prejudices and get to know the people she called family. It frustrated her so much and no matter how many articles she printed about the real people and real life in the southside it never made a difference. Jughead guided her out of the room and back outside to the car. He leaned against it and pulled her into him and she blew out a breath as the tension left her. He rested his chin on her head as they held each other until she felt calm enough to pull away slightly. He gazed down at her and she smiled at him.

"Our kids are brilliant." He said and she laughed.

"They really are." She said. He kissed her on the forehead as they stood beneath the stars basking in the glow of their love for one another.

"Did you ever think in high school that we'd end up here?" He asked quietly.

"I've always wanted a family with you Jughead Jones, I knew we'd end up here the first time you kissed me." Betty said looking at him. "Our family was unexpected but I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else in the world."


	12. Chapter 12

The twins had only been in the gifted program for a week but they already loved it and Betty was glad they had something to challenge them intellectually. They had recently recently started calling her mommy and she wasn't sure how she felt about it because she wasn't technically their mother but she hadn't found a way to bring it up with them yet. It had started when they were tired or being put to bed and she had figured it just slipped out because she looked so much like their actual mother but it had soon started slipping into their words more and more, and they had even started calling Jughead daddy when they saw him. She wasn't sure what to do about it but she figured that if they were comfortable with it then she didn't want to make them feel like it was wrong. She was sure they knew who their birth parents were because she made sure they had a framed picture of Polly and Jason in their room and she had explained who they were when the twins asked.

They had of course recognized Polly in the picture but were unsure of who Jason was so she had calmly explained that he was their father and Auntie Cheryl's brother. They had seemed to understand but that was when the word Daddy had slipped into their vocabulary. She knew they would have to discuss it eventually but she was content with it for the moment, even if she did feel a little guilty for taking a title that wasn't hers but that was lessening each day as she realized that to the twins that's who they were. They took care of them the way parents would, so she resolved to talk to them about their family and how it came to be when they were older and could actually comprehend the conversation.

She was currently standing in front of the mirror in her bathroom and twisting her body to determine if the little rounding in her lower abdomen had always been there or if it was new. She ran her hand along her stomach and felt the barely noticeable bump. It had surprised her when she had gotten out of the shower that morning because her body had always been relatively the same so any small change was noticeable, she didn't even look pregnant, only like she had had a big meal but it entranced her. She found it hard to believe that there was something growing in that small little bump under her hand. She knew she must have been standing there for a long time before she heard a knock on the door. She hastily threw on a robe from the back of the bathroom door and went to the door. Her hair was still up in a towel but she couldn't do much about her appearance at the moment she she just pulled the door open with all the dignity she could muster. Jughead was standing on the porch and she moved to allow him in.

He walked to the fridge to check out the pictures she had stuck on, they were messy finger paintings done by the twins on a lazy afternoon and he smiled at them. She stuck her hands into the pockets of the robe and rocked back on her feet as she waited for him to speak. He looked her over and smiled softly at her.

"I didn't mean to interrupt." He said softly and she smiled.

"That's okay. I was already out." She studied him. "Not to sound rude or anything but what are you doing here?"

He blew out a breath and walked over to her. He took he hand and laid it in his palm up before he took something out of his pocket. She looked up at him for a moment before he placed the object in her hand, she looked down and realized what it was immediately. It was his chip, for being one month sober and she looked up at him. He placed his finger against her lips before she could speak.

"I don't want you to say anything now Betty, I just wanted to give you this, I wanted to let you know that I'm all in with you. Our family is a gift and I was stupid to not see that before, I want you to take this chip as a reminder that I'll do better, I'll be better for you and for us. I want you to think about that and make your own choice, then come to me. I'll be waiting." He said and left her standing in their kitchen.

She turned and watched as the door closed behind him. She curled her fingers around the chip and brought her hand to her chest with a smile. He had done it, she knew it was still a long road to recovery but she was so proud of him for getting help and taking a step towards getting better. She took the chip with her into their room where she got dressed and sat on the bed, she turned the chip in her hands as she thought about what he had said. He was all in, and she had heard the word behind that, he meant that he wasn't going to walk away. He was all in for their family, even if it meant they never left Riverdale. She knew that he wanted to be a family and he wanted to spend his life with them.

She looked around the room and saw traces of their life together everywhere. The serpent jacket he had been so adament about her not getting when they were younger, before he accepted that she was a part of it with him. The pictures of them at the prom and pop's, with all their friends. Them in front of this trailer on the day they were handed the keys, there were even pictures of them together when they were just toddlers, before they knew just how much they would mean to each other. They were so ingrained in each others lives it felt wrong to her to imagine a life without him in it, he had been a constant in her life from the very beginning.It was almost like fate, they couldn't escape it even if the had wanted to, it would always lead back to them.

She ran her hand along her stomach and for the first time since she had found out it felt like she could have this and it brought a smile to her face. She found herself imagining their future with this baby and the twins, growing up in this place with so much love surrounding them and she wanted it so badly. She jumped to her feet and slipped on her shoes as she flung the door open and dashed across the yard to FP's trailer. She didn't even knock before she swung the door open and went in. Jughead spun to face her and she closed the door behind her.

"It's your turn to listen." She said and he nodded and turned to face her fully. "Okay. I want to keep the baby Juggie, and I don't want to add pressure to you or impact your recovery....." She looked down and put her hand on her stomach. " and I considered abortion which is a perfectly valid choice for women...... but I couldn't do it. This is our baby."

He walked over to her and laid his hand over hers. She looked up at him and he smiled down at her. "This won't affect my recovery Betty, it's better actually....you, the twins, this baby. It gives me so much to fight for. It gives me so much to stay sober for, because I don't want to miss out on any of the moments with our kids or with you."

She took a deep breath and looked up to meet his eyes. "Juggie....I don't want to fight anymore. I want you to come home."

He pulled her in and kissed her deeply. "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

 

They spent the next few months getting back to where they were before the fighting and Jughead brought her to a few meetings with her which helped her better understand what he was going through and she was thankful that he had support from people who knew exactly what he had went through, and who he could talk to when he needed. It had been difficult at first to trust each other again and every time he was a little late she would worry that he had slipped but they had spoken in depth about it and built up that trust again and now if he was going to be late he would text her and check in before she could worry and she had learned to let go of her insecurities of holding him back.

All of their friends had become a fantastic support system and Toni and Cheryl had even served spiced cider at their wedding instead of champagne because they knew he was newly sober so they removed any temptation so that everyone could enjoy the reception without worry and they had cut out one day a week that they would spend time with just each other away from the kids. They worked on their relationship and ignored what everyone else had to say about it. Betty remained a constant support to him, when he started craving a drink she would distract him with a game or a trip with the kids and he would support her when her anxieties and insecurities would pull her down. They became solid again and everyone around them admired the way they had gotten through this bump in their relationship and came out stronger.

Betty was by his side to cheer him on when he received his chip marking a year sober and got a surprise when he dropped to his knee and asked her to become his wife. She of course said yes and a few months later she walked down the aisle in a white dress with their family smiling around them, and their small daughter giggling along with the twins. She stayed by his side even when he relapsed two years after and had to start all over again. They worked together through all of it and she had never been more grateful for the life she had been given. 

When the twins turned six and started asking why they didn't have the same last name as the rest of their family, they sat down together to explain the situation and ask if they wanted to share a name. They were together when the twins officially became a part of the Jones family, with the approval of their aunt, and they stayed strong through the many years after that. She held his hand and talked him down after the first time he saw the twins wearing their serpent jackets when they were fifteen, and he held her when they walked the stage at graduation, with Juliet rolling her eyes at her 'dramatic' parents. 

There relationship had moments of impact that they would always look back at as they got older and realized the moments that made them who they were. Betty knew that there relationship was written in the stars and crafted by fate herself, because they had been through so much together that it had to be fate's design that brought them to the life they had made together. On the grand scale of things they were just a couple on the southside of some small town, in a small part of america, with no signifigance in the world but to them the world was what they saw when they looked into each others eyes.

In the end, the town they had all been so eager to leave had for better or worse shaped them into the people they were and as much heartache and pain it had given them it had also given them each other and it was a place that would forever be etched into there hearts and mind. They never left that small town but they had found something worthwhile in the lives of their children, and that would always be something Riverdale had given them. 

 


End file.
